Could this be a leftover of British imperialism..? Hindu texts have no prohibitions towards same sex unions they even had a third sex called Hijra very similar to the Native American Two-Spirit..Those damned Abrahamic religions have to ruin everything…

Dec 13, 2013 at 2:14 pm · @Reply ·

Ruhlmann

Everything lousy is a leftover of British imperialism. I know cause I’m French.

Germans did this, now Indians. I hope this becomes a worldwide trend. Maybe we’ll see Obama kiss Biden, or Pope Francis kiss Archbishop Dolan. How about Ann Coulter and Michelle Bachmann? Yikes!

Dec 13, 2013 at 11:47 pm · @Reply ·

Kangol

What a positive development, and one step in persuading India’s parliament to strike this heinous colonial-era law from the books.

Dec 14, 2013 at 12:13 am · @Reply ·

zibala

Wow!!!!!
India 2013 (estimated) population: 1,270,000,000
Gay protesters against court ruling: 4,000
Gone Viral ????? Don’t talk rubbish. That is just under 0.0003% of the whole population!!!!!
Those gay chaps will have to do better than that and get more other gay people to join them in their protest – else the vast vast majority will win.
And, please, don’t blame us british and our old imperialism. India has been independent since the mid-1940s. They are old enough to do what they like.

I’m actually surprised that 4,000 people are open and supportive about it, good for them! I would’ve thought any place in the middle east was extremely homophobic but then again I need to get out more.

Dec 14, 2013 at 11:32 am · @Reply ·

tjr101

@Sebizzar:”I would’ve thought any place in the middle east was extremely homophobic but then again I need to get out more.”

India is not in the middle east, and yes please, you do need to get out more. Grab a map while you’re at it!

@tjr101: Lol, trust me I’ve had a globe since I was a kid and looked at it several times. I just assumed the middle east was… well, all the countries in the middle of the eastern hemisphere. And India is right in the center!

Dec 15, 2013 at 1:22 am · @Reply ·

jckfmsincty

And, this is the world’s largest democracy. Those of us in the United States should never underestimate the will and the evil of the “Religious Right” in our country.

Dec 15, 2013 at 1:33 am · @Reply ·

jwtraveler

@Sebizzar: Nope. Not the Middle East. Better get a history book or an encyclopedia to go with that globe. India is considered part of “south Asia”, even if it doesn’t look that far south on the map.

Dec 15, 2013 at 2:49 am · @Reply ·

sfbeast

Very nice show of support. And some of those in the pics didn’t look like they minded kissing a same sex friend all that much.

Dec 15, 2013 at 7:47 am · @Reply ·

tjr101

@Sebizzar:”I just assumed the middle east was… well, all the countries in the middle of the eastern hemisphere. And India is right in the center.”

Yea, so I guess China must be part of the middle east as well since it’s kind of at the center of the eastern hemisphere right??? SMH…

Dec 15, 2013 at 10:29 am · @Reply ·

EdgarCarpenter

In most of India it is customary for young men to experiment sexually and emotionally with each other – this is seen as ok, and everyone knows about it. It is approved because it keeps them away from young women, who are much more restricted there.

As a result of the imported British homophobia, though, young men having sex with their male friends is magically “not homosexual sex”, since homosexual sex is “bad” but sex with their male friends is normal.

This rather large cultural mis-match is not discussed publicly in India, and some books for travelers warn foreigners not to mention it (!) but it’s an underlying fact that makes sex between men or between women an even more charged topic there.